May 22
Kate Hudson
Angela Simmons
The slide show of over 120 female celebrities on the beach promised great bodies, bikinis and ABS! But only two of the women had any definition at all. Maybe movie stars and singers just don’t work on their stomach muscles. Or it’s genetically too difficult to create any cuts. Someday I should look for professional female athletes to see what their abs look like as a group.
Mindless, but interesting. A nice change of pace from contracts and other responsibilities…
Felix Baumgartner in everyday clothes
While watching a tennis match on TV recently, the camera suddenly focused on a familiar face in the stands. “I recognize that person,” I thought to myself, but couldn’t place him. Then the announcer said that he was Felix Baumgartner, the man who jumped last October out of a helium-filled balloon capsule from 24 miles high. He set all kinds of records. Millions of us watched the balloon’s launch and his jump over a few hours. It was thrilling, chilling and joyous.
jumping from 24 miles up
We celebrated his courage, because he did something that none of us would do…nor even wanted to do. He risked his life and reputation…and now he is a guy watching a tennis match.
He was always just a guy with everyday life problems. He has to shower and dress himself. Earn money or manage what he has. Think up new challenges. Talk on the phone. Eat a meal.
Felix at work
But there was something quite disorienting for me to see this life-risking pioneer simply chatting away and watching live the same match I was watching on TV. If he was never my hero, I certainly applaud and admire his bravery and risk taking. I certainly admire his ability to organize the multi-million dollar program called Red Bull Stratos that built his equipment, his space suit, and launched him into space. And he was back being a mortal.
Maybe it was the life-risking part of the achievement that made his “ordinariness” so startling. When I see athletes who have aged since their glory days, so that they walk with a slower step or need assistance, I can accept readily their frailty and humanness. But something was different in viewing Felix being ordinary. Maybe you have a thought about what it was.
At the bottom of this page is a 90 second video of his momentous day last October. Enjoy it…
tough first lady
Here is an article by Erin Cunningham that startles me: more women want upper arm plastic surgery. (I didn’t even know there was such a procedure.) And Michelle Obama is the reason. Of course there are contrarians who say she is not the cause. You can decide after looking at some photos of our First Lady. I also included pictures of tennis star Samantha Stosur. How do you like her arms?
Michelle’s elegant arms
On Monday, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reported a 4,473 percent increase in brachioplasties, or upper-arm lifts, since 2000. And as a result of its recent online poll, the ASPS also reported that the most desired upper arms by women belong to Michelle Obama.
biceps to rave about?
Sam Stosur really has arms
But while the ASPS reported that upper-arm lifts jumped more than 4,000 percent between 2000 and 2006 among women, Business Insider points out that, according to previous ASPS yearly reports, since 2007, “there have been only single-digit increases or decreases year-to-year for the cosmetic procedure.” Since the Obamas didn’t take Washington by storm until 2008, it’s unlikely that Michelle Obama can be thanked (or blamed) for the upper-arm sensation.
does she lift weights daily?
“The rise of brachioplasty has actually occurred over the past decade. It’s a procedure that has been fairly popular all along,” says Dr. Matthew Schulman, who practices plastic surgery in New York City. He adds that the procedure hasn’t just gotten more popular since the Obamas have been in the White House. Still, “she has a very visible role, she’s out there on more mainstream television, and constantly wears sleeveless dresses,” Schulman says.
Perhaps because of the rise social media, the immediate awareness of one’s body type has created a more self-conscious audience, says Dr. Darrick E. Antell, assistant clinical professor of surgery at Columbia University. “People take pictures, view them right away, and see those arms they want to hide,” he says. “Michelle is sort of an icon, she’s stylish, and she’s typically photographed from the waist up.” Since mobile devices now have video and camera capabilities, the readiness with which images can be uploaded and viewed leaves one little time to prepare to confront one’s flaws.
Doctors point to widespread weight loss across the nation and advanced surgical technologies as the dominant factors that have contributed to the rise of brachioplasties—not Michelle Obama. As Antell explains, “People today are losing much more weight than in the past, which leads to an excess of loose skin.” The development of microliposuction, too, has made the upper-arm procedure less severe, the scar management less difficult, and the recovery time much faster. (Patients can be back to work as quickly as the span of a long weekend.)
Mar 15
Johan (left) and Tommy
On February 12th, I watched the Trinity College men’s squash team beat Harvard 5-4. It was the third time Harvard has lost to Trinity by that close score in just the seven years I have been following Trinity and traveling to Boston to be in the lion’s den there. One of the most critical contests was when Trinity’s Johan Detter was playing in the number six position against Tommy Mullaney and was behind in the fifth game, 8-10. Harvard needed just one point to win that early game. But Johan fought tirelessly and won the game 12-10. What a victory. Number six is just the first wave (3-6-9), and Trinity won all three matches.
The next rotation was stronger for Harvard, winning two out of three. The last wave would be the decider, and Harvard won two more right away, so the teams were tied 4-4. But Trinity closed it with a decisive win, squeaking through yet once again. I was proud to cheer along with the enthusiastic Trinity fans who had made the trek to Beantown.
Johan and Bill Belichick, head coach of New England Patriots
One of the parents in the stands near me earlier was Tommy Mullaney’s father. I expressed my sympathies. After the match was over, I saw him again and talked to his son. Though I was glad he had lost, I also felt sad about how he might take his defeat. Harvard hasn’t beaten Trinity in the last 24 years. And he was so close. You often see movies in which the mature man in his 40s or 50s has lived a depressed or dismal life after dropping the catch that would have been the winning touchdown or the last out. So I wondered how this will affect Tommy’s life. In the movie Parenthood, Steve Martin complains that his complete happiness is dependent on whether or not his son catches a baseball pop up hit to the kid in the outfield.
But I sensed how important that early, close win was to the team match, and was relieved when Tommy was unable to close the deal. I was awed that Johan came back under so much pressure. I was ecstatic that Trinity won again.
Mar 9
Shemar at the beach
Shemar at Canne
Shemar Franklin Moore is an American actor and former fashion model. His most notable roles are that of Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005, Derek Morgan on CBS’s Criminal Minds from 2005 to present, and as the third permanent host of Soul Train from 1999 to 2003.
I never heard of him, but his abs caught my eye. Abs are teaching me a great deal about pop culture. Time to do a few crunches!
Justin's back in the gym
I love learning about pop culture, especially when I can’t relate to it. For a few years I have heard about Justin Bieber. But I had no idea how big he is: He has over 30 million followers on Twitter, and he was named by Forbes Magazine in 2012 as the third most powerful celebrity in the world. He also did a music video that has over 800 million views!!!
Anyway who cares about that on this site. He recently sent out a photo of his abs, and that is what is really important…right?
Paula and Jon before their on-camera push up contest—1/25/12
Prior to the Patraeus/Broadwell scandal breaking, Paula came on the Daily Show for a 15-minute interview to plug her book about the CIA chief. Little did we know what else was going on. And Jon Stewart made comments more recently about how naive he was during his January interview. All very funny.
Paula and Jon
Paula had attended West Point, was supposedly ranked No. 1 over all in fitness in her class. She benefited from a different ranking scale for women, she told a reporter this year. But “I was still in the top 5 percent if I’d been ranked as a male,” she said. But is she lying? A spokesman at the military academy said November 15th that Broadwell did NOT win the fitness award, which went to another female cadet in her graduating class.
Jon Stewart (on floor), Paula, and her husband Scott compete for charity
On that same show, she challenged Stewart to a push-up contest to raise money for wounded warriors. She claimed she could do 100. She slipped off her high heels, dropped to the floor and pounded out 60 push-ups, besting his 38. He donated $20,000 to a veterans’ organization Broadwell supports. I wanted to post the video of that contest, but it is now no longer available. Amusing.
As a substitute, I have some stills of Paula, so you can see how she often dressed to display her toned arms. And below is the first half of her interview with Stewart…no contest, no push ups, but you can hear the interview and enjoy all the secret meanings.
| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Paula Broadwell | ||||
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Oct 25
Another Ira's Abs
This is too cute. Iras of the world, UNITE! Especially if you love your abs. This is the fake cover of an Onion magazine that has no inside pages. And those abs wouldn’t impress anyone. I prefer Amy’s abs from yesterday. And that’s why the Onion is often so funny…
Ira Glass is the host and executive producer of a radio/TV show called This American Life. Ira started working in public radio in 1978, when he was 19, as an intern at NPR’s headquarters in DC. Over the next 17 years, he worked on nearly every NPR news show and did nearly every production job they had: tape-cutter, desk assistant, newscast writer, editor, producer, reporter, and substitute host. He spent a year in a high school for NPR, and a year in an elementary school, filing stories for All Things Considered. He moved to Chicago in 1989 and put This American Life on the air in 1995.
actor Shemar Moore has abs
unknown lifter
Shemar Franklin Moore is an American actor and former fashion model. His most notable roles are that of Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005, Derek Morgan on CBS’s Criminal Minds from 2005 to present, and as the third permanent host of Soul Train from 1999 to 2003.
Hopefully these pictures will please two readers who asked for more abs pictures. The one on the left was sent in by my friend Chris (age 25) who was impressed by the story about the 72-year-old doctor on steroids whose body looks like he’s decades younger.
Interesting how some sets of abs line up and others don’t. I assume it’s genetics as opposed to how they exercise. Any explanations from you?
Aug 21
do you recognize him?
He’s got a pretty good set of abs and body in general…right? But there is something very unusual about him. His name is Jeff Life, and he is a 72-year-old doctor. See him working out below, something he does at least six times a week in the gym.
In an LA Times article , it says his regimen includes hard cardio, heavy weights pushed to the max, martial arts, Pilates, a strict low-glycemic carb diet and lots of supplements. It has also, for the last seven years, been hormonally enhanced by a program that includes testosterone and human growth hormone—a therapy Life views as entirely appropriate, even necessary despite the medical evidence questioning both its effectiveness and safety…
Like most people, Life didn’t give a thought to his testosterone level, his HGH or his fitness as he built his career as a family practice doctor in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. A lapsed Masters swimmer who became inactive in his mid 40s, the father of five became fat and borderline diabetic—”a typical stressed-out middle-aged doctor who ate, drank and didn’t practice what he preached. It was years and years of sloth.”
Dr. Jeff Life–2010
That changed the day Life, then 60, picked up Muscle Media magazine and read about “the Challenge,” a 12-week, before-and-after fitness contest. His competitive fires lighted, Life sent in his before photo and hit the gym.
Three months later, he’d dropped 25 pounds, cut his body fat from 28% to 10%, got genuinely ripped and was named one of the contest’s 1999 “Body for Life” 10 grand champions…
But by age 64, Life found himself shrinking.
His muscles didn’t respond to workouts like they did a few years before. Abdominal fat started piling up. He began feeling mildly depressed. And he wasn’t waking with an erection as often as he used to.
It was a condition he would soon know as andropause, the insidious creep of declining testosterone.
It was time for his second epiphany—and the photo that would change everything…
the whole Dr. Jeffrey Life
Dr. Jeff's ad for the company he works with
In June 2003, Life became a Cenegenics patient, ultimately taking daily shots of HGH along with once-a-week testosterone shots, a regimen he still maintains.
“I could feel the difference quickly. Clarity of thought, a new, sharper focus, increased sexual function, bigger muscles.” He was so impressed that he packed up, moved to Las Vegas and joined the company.
After six months of seeing clients, Life had an idea to keep them motivated: Show them his body.
“They needed to know that I walked the walk.”
That might have been the end of the story—until a year later, when a writer from GQ magazine, in to do an anti-aging story, walked by Life’s office. His eyes bugged out at the sight of the glossy 8 by 11 of the buffed, bald, jeans-wearing guy hanging on the wall.
The shot ended up in his article in the January 2006 issue of GQ….Now it’s been seen by millions. An old, bald head on the young beefcake body. The claim is that this is not digitally modified. Whats your reaction?
Taylor before his transformation
Taylor afterward
Taylor Daniel Lautner is an American actor, voice actor, model, and martial artist. He took his first karate class at the age of six and earned his black belt by the age of eight, winning several junior world championships.
Once he became an actor, he won a role in a three-part movie series in which the first film wasn’t too successful. For the next film, Twilight Saga’s New Moon, he gained 30 pounds of muscle, and is credited substantially for the film’s worldwide box office take of $700 million. One critic wrote, “The film’s marketing issues were solved when Lautner’s “abdominal muscles became New Moon’s main talking point, not to mention his calling card.” He was named number one on Access Hollywood’s “Top 5 Hollywood Abs” list.
In 2010, Lautner was ranked number two on Glamour’s “50 Sexiest Men of 2010 ” list. Men’s Health ranked him at third on their list of “Top 10 Summer Bodies.” Additionally in 2010, he was ranked fourth on People’s “Most Amazing Bodies” list.
Lautner has an intricate workout plan, which was covered by Men’s Health, and has a specific diet after developing his body for New Moon.In addition, he still practices and trains in martial arts regularly.
Oguchi has abs (in case you missed them)
I bumped into an article about the 30 fittest pro athletes. Of course I was focusing on their abs—some readers have actually asked me for more pictures than I am posting. So here you are.
“I had to add Oguchi into the list. After all, he’s a soccer player—fittest athletes ever. At 6’4″ 210 pounds, he’s one of the most feared men in the world’s game.
I’ve played against a lot of massive defenders. And no one has Oguchi’s strength. His shoulders and chest are so big that people confuse him with an NFL player. He can move anyone in the game with one arm, including the best strikers in the world. Guys absolutely fear him.”
Charlie Davies, FORWARD, U.S. SOCCER
A recent news story about how bikinis may no longer be the official uniform for women’s beach volleyball motivated me to look at what the present costume is. That’s how I bumped into Kerri Lee Walsh-Jennings who with teammate Misty May-Treanor were the gold medalists in beach volleyball at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. They have been called “the greatest beach volleyball team of all time.”
Of course I picked this picture, because it’s so rare to see women with abs.
In this photo by Jamie Squire: Kerri Walsh (left) and Misty May-Treanor celebrate during the women’s gold medal match against China during Day 13 of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
And for those the least bit curious, here are excerpts from the AP news story I mentioned:
Under new rules adopted by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), players are now free to wear shorts and sleeved tops. The governing body said the move was made out of respect for the cultural beliefs of some of the countries still in contention to qualify for the games.
But top players say they won’t be switching from the beach- and TV-friendly bikinis to the more modest uniforms approved recently by the International Volleyball Federation as a nod to countries where more modest attire is preferred.
“It’s something I really feel comfortable with,” said Kerri Walsh, who with Misty May-Treanor won the gold medal in Athens and Beijing while wearing the standard beach volleyball uniform: a two-piece bathing suit. “It’s something I feel empowered by, not distracted with. I’m not a sex symbol; I’m an athlete. I want to be streamlined out there.” Read the rest of this entry »
Obama and Cameron play ping pong—5/2011
I have heard recently that ping pong is the largest organized sport in the world, enjoyed by 300 million people. China alone has 100 million of them, and the sport is played in 200 countries. Maybe the world’s leaders should have ping pong matches instead of wars to solve sticky issues.
Prime Minister David Cameron of England is in the States enjoying a state dinner tonight with President Obama. So it seems the right moment to post these two photos taken in London last year.
Go Barack! Slam, slam slam—5/2011
Novak Djokovic bares his abs after winning the Australian Open—1/29/12
In case you aren’t familiar with Jason Statham’s films, above is a sample.
Jason before and after—could this before photo be real?
Jason Statham filled out for Death Race
There is so much interest in Jason’s physical transformation and growth into a top action star that I have collected two interviews. Notice his diet and that his workout routine is not a regular routine at all. Maybe I should shake up my own training activities. In the first interview below, he admits how miserable the training makes him. I can easily relate to that.
Q. You’re in such good shape in this movie (Death Race). What was the training like?
JASON STATHAM: In terms of the training? It changed a lot. The training schedules were put together by a guy called Logan Hood he’s an ex-Navy seal who’s pretty intense. The good thing about his sessions is nothing was ever repeated. We’d hawk back to the old starlets of exercise, using everything that uses your own body weight and the very basic things like pull-ups and pushups and squats and dead lifts, power planes, that kind of thing, sprints, explosive power stuff.
Q. Every day?
JASON STATHAM: Six days a week, yeah.
Q. For how long per day?
JASON STATHAM: Not that long, actually. 40 minutes, 45 minutes, sometimes an hour.
Q. What kind of diet did you have during your shoot?
JASON STATHAM: It was lots of protein, lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, berries, a little bit of dairy, no refined carbohydrates, no pasta, no bread, no sugar, no juices.
Q. Did you find that difficult?
JASON STATHAM: It makes me very miserable. But you know, it’s in for a penny, in for a pound. You do it for a reason and it’s part of the job, so it’s nice to have that focus and dedication.
Q. Where you up early to train?
JASON STATHAM: Yes, we used to get up at 5, and hit the running machine which is no fun. Then we’d do an hour and then get ready and start the film. It’s amazing how much energy you get once you get into the routine.
Jason talks about his training for Death Race in the clip above.
Now here is the second interview after Transporter 3 came out.
How fit are you out of ten?
It depends. When I was filming Death Race I was extremely fit but right now… If I was a ten then, I’m probably about a six or seven now.
What level martial artist are you?
Movie level.
You recently lost 17lb (7.7kg) in six weeks. What did you eat?
Not much. Mainly protein, nuts and berries. I was a miserable bastard.
You also trained with a former Navy SEAL. Why him?
He leads by example. You see people working out with some trainers and the trainers look like they need a trainer. It’s bizarre how they get the job if they’re not in fucking amazing shape themselves.
What did you do with him?
I trained six days a week, 35 minutes a day. We had two rules: we wouldn’t do the same workout twice and we’d record everything. The main part of the session would be intense and involve heavy compound lifts, circuits, kettlebells and medicine balls. Read the rest of this entry »
Herschel Walker does 1500 push ups a day
It’s now 42 days in a row (and 44/45) that I have done some exercise, whether bent over rows, push ups or bicycle crunches. A great achievement for me. It’s in addition to the sports I am doing. Especially on a day like today, when I played 3 3/4 hours of tennis continuously, am tired and still made myself do push ups before dinner. I am now up to 93, but this is comprised of many sets, so I did 40, then 9, then 7 then 6 sets of 6. I have to laugh, and you will too, when I tell you that the athlete pictured does quite a bit more each day: 1500. How does a human do so many??? My goal, which I have never achieved, is to equal my age in push ups without stopping. I couldn’t do it when I was 57, although I eventually reached that record number, and now I have to reach 70. This week my high was 50. A long way to go…
Here are some facts about Herschel Walker’s obsession: You can’t argue that 49-year-old Walker looks better then most men half his age. Unfortunately, it takes a very special kind of person to live Walker’s ultra-motivated, super dedicated, mega-healthy life.
Walker is a strict vegetarian and wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and does approximately 1,500 push-ups and 2,000 sit-ups, and has even used ballet training as strength training.
He is a former American college and professional football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia, was a three-time All-American, and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Walker began his professional football career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL), before joining the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In the NFL, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Since retiring from professional football, Walker has also been known as a mixed martial artist.
Nov 13
Jonathan Lipnicki stole the show from Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire and is now a gym rat
I love to see how people change over the years and decades, so I was amused by pictures of child actors who work out as older guys. I was familiar with just one of them as a kid—Jonathan Lipnicki from Jerry Maguire—and felt badly that he built up his muscles for a movie requiring a buff body, and then his shirtless scenes were cut from the film. But he still works out 4-5 times a week, so he is on a healthy track…
Danny Bonaduce is funny: he goes to red carpet events topless. Maybe he should next follow Lady Gaga’s lead: she just stepped out bottomless.
Aaron Carter
Danny Bonaduce was in The Partridge Family
young thin Kirstie—1979
a lot heavier
slimmed down—9/2011
My “large women” story yesterday led me to Kirstie Alley, a very famous sit com star who I knew almost nothing about and have never seen on TV (can you believe it?). So I learned a few amazing things about this formerly overweight personality who had a show called “Fat Actress” and still has a reality series documenting her weight loss called “Big Life.”
In a year she has lost 100 pounds. Some people have trouble losing 10 pounds, but Kirstie’s weight goes up and down like a yo-yo.
In a February 2010 trailer for her weight loss reality show, she said:
“I was thin my whole life, til I gained 75 pounds,” she says. “Then I lost 75 pounds, then I gained 75 pounds.”
The point of the show is to lose it again, and cameras will be there every step of the way along with her kids and staff. She says she hopes that this is the last time she goes through the process and is looking forward to being the skinny booty call instead of the fat booty call.
“I think it’s stupid to say you’re full figured,” she says. “Fuck you, you’re fucking fat!”
heavier days
The actress and former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, 60, revealed to “Entertainment Tonight” this week that she had bought the same dress in a variety of sizes, from 14 to 4, and made a deal with herself to keep shedding pounds until she fit into the smallest size.
Early in 2010 Kirstie admitted she recently tipped the scales at 230 pounds. She weighed just 143 when she appeared on Oprah in a bikini in 2006.
thin Kirstie
For years I have noticed that people gain weight over time, but just a couple of pounds a year…that adds up to 40 pounds after two decades. And more after 30 years! There is now an epidemic in America: one third of people are overweight, and another third are obese. Leads to all kinds of health issues.
Too bad everyone doesn’t have Kirstie’s ability to be on TV and have the world watching your weight-loss success (or failure) for reinforcement. All that peer pressure. But maybe just telling your friends what you aim to do—and putting yourself on the spot—might be enough. Of course most people are afraid to fail, and certainly not publicly. So we keep our goals to ourselves, especially when it comes to losing weight. Plus…who wants to give up all that good-tasting food, alcohol and milk shakes!
Andy Whitfield as Spartacus
Added to the September 11th sadness was the death yesterday of actor Andy Whitfield, the former star of TV show “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” which launched in January 2010. Portraying this muscular superhuman character was Whitfield’s big entertainment break. Two months later, a routine check-up revealed that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and in 18 months he was gone. Life is a bitch sometimes.
Whitfield was from Wales but lived in Australia and was a relatively unknown actor until he was chosen for the series, a sex- and blood-soaked version of the early life of the Thracian gladiator who led a slave rebellion against the Roman ruling class from 73 to 71 B.C.
In December 2009, Andy was highlighted in a Men’s Health article (below) about how to exercise when you are busy and build up those beautiful muscles that earned him the part. Who would have imagined what was waiting for him just three months later. I hate it.
Ponder this scenario: You’ve just received a treasured job offer—a dream situation for your career, in fact—but it comes with a few unusual requirements. You have to go shirtless on the job, millions of people will watch you work that way, and oh yeah, you need to achieve and maintain 10 percent body fat or they’ll fire your ass. However, because you’re so busy doing this job, you have only 45 minutes, 3 days a week to exercise. Assuming you take the position, what would you do with that time? Go for a run? Hit the elliptical machine? Search the job boards? Hire a body double?
Andy working on his abs on set
It’s natural to assume that an actor has far more time for exercise than the average guy does. But Whitfield’s schedule probably isn’t much different from your own. After all, he has a wife and two young children and spends most days on set from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. “For Spartacus, we’ve committed 100 percent of our production time to creating great scenes,” says Whitfield. “So all the training I do is on my own time. And that’s pretty limited.” Sound familiar?
Now consider that job offer again. If you were Andy Whitfield, what kind of exercises would you do to stay lean on the job?
The list of exercises can be found here . The one he is doing in the picture above is described here :
Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler has been in the news for losing a considerable amount of weight.
pudgy Gerard
But after revealing his ripped abs on Tuesday, it’s obvious he’s back to his tightly sculpted, King Leonidas-like form from the movie “300″ (see below).
Like many actors prepping for a role, Butler, 41, has recently undergone a physical transformation. He dyed his curly locks blond and packed on the muscle to star in director Curtis Hanson’s upcoming surfing flick, Mavericks.
But it wasn’t a set photo that showed off Butler’s sexy new body. It was a casual snapshot of the Scottish actor changing before playing in a charity soccer match in Glasgow. Butler was spotted in the Celtic Football Club’s locker room, where he was about to don a team jersey before heading out to the pitch. He playfully posed for the photo by sticking his tongue out and making a silly face.
The “300″ actor’s tip-top shape apparently helped his skills on the field, because his team, which included other British athletes and celebs, won 5-2 in a game benefiting the anti-poverty organization, Oxfam International.
Gerard mimics this famous 1951 photo of Albert Einstein
Daniel Craig
I love the teasing headline and first sentence of this British newspaper article…which never delivers much. But the man does have abs…
We reveal how to get the enviable physiques of the stars. This week, Daniel Craig’s torso…
Daniel Craig follows a regimen of weights, running and interval training.
To maintain his legendary abs, 007 is said to work out five days a week and follows a tailored diet to aid muscle growth and repair.
Craig has worked with personal trainer Simon Waterson, who prescribes a remorseless regimen of weights, running and interval training.
Exercises include press-ups (push ups) as well as jumping and bounding to produce power.
Andre Agassi and my daughter Skylar
I just spent four breathtakingly fabulous days watching the Campbell’s ATP Tennis tournament at the International
Hall of Fame facility in Newport, RI. And I also played on the grass courts there myself for seven hours during two of the days. (This included a 2 1/2 hour clinic, where I learned many useful tips I am eager to try out.) Prior to this trip, I had only hit on grass one hour in my life. Quite a thrill.
But even more exciting was attending some events that attracted a number of Hall of Famers, particularly this year’s two inductees, Andre Agassi and Peachy Kelmeyer, who launched the WTA and equal rights and prize money for women. Did you know that tennis is the most popular professional women’s sport in the world?
I was privileged to be able to thank Andre (who was sitting five feet from me) at a luncheon for his inspiration and contributions to the game and the world. I also saw and heard speak his wife, Steffi Graff and other previous inductees, including tennis greats Todd Martin, Vic Seixas, Rosie Casals, Donald Dell, Owen Davidson, Pam Shriver, tennis journalist/broadcast commentator Bud Collins, and famed tennis photographer Mike Adams.
Agassi gave a speech that was so emotional and filled with gratitude that some people—including Andre—were tearing up or crying. He said that he had been on the podium there twice before: once to introduce his wife, when she was inducted into the Fall of Fame in 2004, and secondly in his father’s imagination since the day Andre was born. Andre’s speech in the video starts at 10:30. You may want to listen to the first 30 seconds to hear a bit of what Andre has accomplished. A humble man who has given back so much. His foundation and college preparatory academy in Las Vegas that he hopes to replicate in other cities graduates 2000 inner-city kids a year. He has raised $150 million to help transform kids who might never have had a decent education, any self esteem and a chance for college. Andre himself only attended school up to 8th grade.
Jul 4
Tommy Haas
Off to an ATP tennis tournament this week in Newport, RI. I hope to hit balls on that surface myself. On Saturday, I will applaud Andre Agassi, when he is inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The highest ranked player in the match is John Isner (#46), who beat Nicolas Mahut (#95) at Wimbledon last year, 70-68. This was the longest pro tennis match ever. I always felt sorry for Mahut…to lose such a marathon of a match. Mahut is also in the Newport draw. I hope he does well.
Tommy has abs
Another player whose name I recognize is Tommy Haas, who in 2002 was ranked 2nd in the world. What an achievement! However he has had numerous injuries over the years and even been unable to play for long stretches, so that now at age 33, he is ranked 768. But in tennis, 33 is ancient. What is it like to have been so high in the rankings and then to fade out so low. I feel sad for him too.
In reading about his career, I bumped into some pictures of him that show he has—or had—very pronounced abs. What do you think?